Tigers in the Wetlands?
What's black with olive-yellow blotches, has slimy skin, primitive teeth, and no claws, yet eats just about any creature small enough to be swallowed? The tiger salamander! Its name comes from its coloration but also from its carnivorous (meat-eating) food habits.Like all amphibians, salamanders must live in moist environments and spend at least part of their life in the water. Tiger salamanders are in the group called "mole salamanders." They burrow into into fallen leaves and soils of upland areas. They also live in the burrows of mammals.
But wetlands are very important to them. Early each spring they migrate in large numbers to potholes and other ponds to breed and lay 100 or so of their gelatin-covered eggs in the shallow water. Afterwards, they move back to upland areas under cover of rain and darkness to burrow in and feed on insect larvae, worms, frogs, or smaller salamanders. Back at the wetlands, eggs hatch in 3-4 weeks into young with gills. When they become adults in the fall, they migrate to winter quarters undeground. For salamanders, wet areas are essential for keeping their skin moist to to help them breathe.
Tiger salamanders are among the 115 or so species of salamanders found in the United States and Canada. Tiger salamanders are found throughout most of the eastern United States and southwestern Canada and south into parts of Mexico.
Check out your wetlands in early spring. See if the tiger has come home to lay its eggs!